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Daily suggested workouts make no sense

I have a 10k with an ambitious time goal in my calendar in about 4 weeks on my FR955. In the overview, I have too much low aerobic training. But DSW is only suggesting base runs, that will be counted as low aerobic. It even tells me, it's suggeetino this to balance my training correctly, while it does the exact opposite.

DSW feels like a joke to me and I don't feel I'm improving at all. Should I just switch to a coach?

Thanks!

  • With 4 weeks to go, you may have a couple of weeks of actual training before taper.

    What is important is that you have confidence in your training for your race. With 4 weeks left before the race, your cannot switch to a Garmin Coach program because they start fro scratch. I also doubt you will find a prepackaged training plan that accomodates a 4-week time line, but if you have email access to a coach, s/he might be able to customize a program for you at a price.

    The DSW uses your watch metrics (VO2 Max, Resting HR, Training Status, recent training history, etc.) to pick workout types and targets based on an overal periodization for the period between now and the race.

    The periodization is automatic which is a benefit to some extent. It will include a short period of "base" training to start with.

    The balancing of the training focus is not a day to day objective during a training plan; it is more like an overarching goal. "base", "build", "taper" phases have their own focus bias by definition.

    A whole different problem is if the targets (pace or HR) are not adequate. This problem is typically due to an inaccurate HR Max, erroneous HR/pace data capture during training (eg: not using a chest strap, running hills, using non-calibrated pace data, etc.). That can be fixed, but not necessarily in time for your race, as it takes time for bad data to fall off.

    I am happy with the DSW, although I wish they would accomodate typical workouts like 400m or 800m speed repeats, hill runs and fartleks. My last plan took me to a 5K race time 12s longer than the race prediction, and 10s better than my goal. That leads me to believe the metrics and the DSW work well. I am pretty sure other coaches will have alternative training approaches and plan they will be happy to sell you.

  • I observe similar issues here. The Low and High Aerobic are way higher than the optimal range, and the Anaerobic is way below the ideal range. Yet DSW doesn't at all suggest many trainings that increase the Anaerobic level, mainly suggesting workouts that increase the Aerobic levels more. Making the imbalance even bigger. See also the screenshot below. I'm using a chest strap and VO2max/RHR etc. seem quite stable according to the watch. 

    In the screenshot it even mentions that some anaerobic workouts are recommended, but this is not what the DSW does.

  • Do you have your event in Calendar marked as primary event?

    Do you have your event visible on glances list?

    I have one day per week suggested either Threshold or Intervals to keep balanced workload.

    I guess you have started using Daily Sugestions few weeks ago. Not just yesterday.

  • Yet DSW doesn't at all suggest many trainings that increase the Anaerobic level, mainly suggesting workouts that increase the Aerobic levels more.

    For a 5k, there are few anaerobic DSW workouts, and fewer than if there was no race planned. Over 8 weeks during the summer, I followed the DSW for such a race and I got one "high-intensity" training a week typically, and that netted maybe 1 anaerobic workouts, 2 sprints, 1 tempo, 4 thresholds or about.

    So yeah, very few anaerobic. 

    In the end though, I had a shortage of anaerobic for the 5k. I think this is OK : Increasing your anaerobic capacity can take away from your threshold lactate management abilities.

    I was wondering whether the focus mix would change depending on the existence of a race in the calendar or even the distance for a race. I did some tests and didn't see immediate adjustments. Maybe it takes some time...

    If there is no adjustment, then I understand why the periodization of the race plan takes priority over balancing the load focus, which could be a stand alone thing, regardless of races.

  • Maybe the race takes priority indeed, but then it would be good to have that mentioned somewhere. Because now to the end user the two items (balance and DSW) are not consistent and even contradicting. This is very confusing for the end user. 

    When I took the screenshot, I had a 10K race planned as primary event (using DSW already for many months). Right now, I don't have a race planned. I'll monitor how the balance is progressing over the coming weeks.

  • Just for information what I see on my FR955

    I have Primary Race glance added to Up-Down list.

    My Primary Race is still 16 Weeks away. After selecting this I can see this

        

    At the bottom of daily suggestions for next 7 days I can see Overview

        

    I will have more extensive workouts scheduled during Build and Peak phases.

    If you do not see such plan, then check marking your Race as primary event.